The cover letter introduces your resume document when you apply for a job. However, you want to start with a strong introduction that effectively makes the letter interesting enough for screening and selecting officials at companies to continue reading. Employers may get dozens of responses from job seekers about a single advertised job, making the hiring process very competitive between applicants. Properly and professionally introducing yourself in the cover letter can help you stand out in a sometimes crowded labor market.

Attention-Grabber Sentence

Start your cover letter with an opening sentence about your qualifications. Hiring managers sometimes write job advertisements that state the minimum number of years of verifiable work experience before giving applicants further consideration. For example, a staff-accountant job opening might require one to three years experience. A job seeker might use the following grabber sentence: "Ten years of accounting and auditing experience as a Certified Public Accountant." Try to honestly introduce yourself as more than the ideal or typical candidate.

Reason for Contact

You don't want to make managers guess about why you are contacting the company. Include the name of the advertised job opening as well as any requisition or other identifying numbers in the first sentence, like the following: "I was excited to come across your company's advertised job opening for medical assistants, Requisition#: A1B2C3." Demonstrate your enthusiasm and serious interest in the job, along with these precise details. In addition, consider that your cover letter and resume may not go directly to the hiring manager. Instead, your documents might get screened by human-resources specialists, who may not be as familiar with the opportunity.

Source of Job Lead

Employers often want to know how you heard about job opportunities with their companies. Job leads don't all come from advertisements. Referrals, word-of-mouth and networking are useful job-search tools, as well. Use name-dropping as you introduce yourself in the cover letter: "John Deerfield is a project manager at ABC Company, and he referred me to a potential job opening at your company. I was his project coordinator for years and we worked well together." If the hiring manager knows of whom you speak, this technique could help your resume rise to the top of the pile.

Value to the Company

Companies want to know what benefit and value you can bring to the organization. Hiring managers aren't selfish -- they have business goals they have to meet, and they need employees that can help in this endeavor. In the first paragraph of the cover letter, truthfully introduce yourself as an expert in your field, with many accomplishments and awards: "I am known as the Microsoft Excel guru. I have published many tutorials about how companies can use this spreadsheet application to automate business office functions and drive down costs." Use the paragraphs that follow to provide evidence and talk about one or two key skills that support your claims.

About the Author

Damarious Page is a financial transcriptionist specializing in corporate quarterly earnings and financial results. Page holds a medical transcription certificate and has participated in an extensive career analysis and outplacement group workshop through Right Management. The West Corporation trained and certified him to handle customer support for home appliance clients.